Tickled Pink
by Throw an Inkpot
Summary: Noah refuses to take a desperately need study break. This leaves Ruya to resort to drastic measures. / Written for TSE Appreciation Week, Day 2, over on tumblr. Cover art by Laura Hollingsworth.


Ruya found him in a distant corner of the library, hunched over a table that was covered in books. The tall, haphazard piles hid him from view, and they looked ready to avalanche over on the weary student. When she drew near enough to see him, she saw he had his hands dug in his hair and he was scowling darkly at an open medical text.

"Noah?" she spoke up quietly, mindful of the others studying around them.

He jumped in his seat, one hand knocking two books off the table.

"Don't sneak up on me!" Noah snapped. He bent to retrieve the fallen books. Ruya beat him to it, scooping the two up and holding them out to him.

"Thanks," he muttered, taking the books, then turning back to the table.

Ruya frowned. Clearly, the stress of studying had gotten to him. Usually when he was around her, he was all adorably awkward flirting and sheepish smiles. He had a temper, she knew that, but unless they were debating something from their studies, he had always behaved…well, sweetly. At least, not snappish, like he was now.

"How long have you been working?" she asked, dragging a nearby chair to sit next to him. "And for the record, I did not 'sneak up' on you. It's just that not all of us stomp every where we go."

Noah grunted. "Sure."

Ruya waited patiently, and when no reply came, she prompted, "How long?"

"Oh. Right. You did ask that. I…I'm not sure." He straightened, running a hand through his messy blond hair. "What time is it?"

"Almost ten."

Noah's eyes closed. "A long time, then."

Ruya sighed. "I thought so. I talked with Micheal, and he said you were still here when he left at seven." _You poor idiot,_ she carefully kept from tacking onto her sentence. He wouldn't appreciate it, particularly in this tired and anxious state.

"Well," she began, "let's go." Standing, she reached to take his arm.

"Go?" he repeated, staring at her.

"You need to quit for the night. Or a study break, at least."

"I can't take a study break."

"You _have_ to."

Noah jerked his arm away from her hand. "Do you know how many exams I have this week? _Tomorrow_?"

" _You have to take a break,"_ Ruya insisted. "You can't sit here frying your brain, all day and all night! Hours worth of studying won't do you any good when you're a jittery mess during exams. You need to…just let yourself rest—do something other than glare at textbooks."

"I'm not glaring," Noah retorted, his face a spectacular contradiction.

If reason wouldn't work on him, other methods would have to be found. Ruya hefted up the nearest stack of books, and began lugging them to a book cart.

"Hey!" Noah hissed. "I'm still using those!"

"No, you're not," she shot back, trying to keep her voice down. "You're going home to bed."

"Ruya," he protested. He stood, and in one stride was at her side, wrestling the books away. "Give them back."

"No." She clutched at the stack. It was a valiant struggle, but Noah was stronger, and took the books with little difficultly. He smiled smugly, and she gave him a dirty look.

With a huff, she poked a finger at his stomach. "Noah, you can't—"

Ruya wasn't sure what she'd expected the poke to do, really. (Nothing, probably.) What she _hadn't_ expected was the odd, choking noise Noah let out, and for him to suddenly drop the stack of books.

She blinked, surprised.

"Are…Noah, are you alright?"

"Yes! Perfectly fine!" he all-but shouted. "As long as you don't go jabbing me like that!"

Cocking her head to the side, Ruya squinted at him. After a moment's contemplation, she reached out her hand towards his stomach again. But this time, rather than poking Noah, she wiggled her fingers to tickle him.

Noah made that odd sound again, and swatted her hand away. "Stop!"

Ruya deciphered the noise this time. It was a snort, but underneath it was something that sounded suspiciously like a giggle.

"You're…ticklish," Ruya realized. She was unable to stop a wicked grin from spreading across her face.

She had seen him chuckle before, certainly, and laugh, of course, but— _giggling_? _Noah_? Oh, this was too good for her to resist.

Ruya dove forwards, tackling her boyfriend in a tickle-attack. He was helpless to fend her off. Noah clutched at his sides, occasionally attempting a weak bat to keep her away. Between laughs, he gasped for breath, and he was redder than a tomato.

After a librarian had come, notified by other students who were complaining about the loud shrieks (of laughter and otherwise), the two were shown to the door. Ruya was still muffling laughter, and she suspected Noah of the same.

"Promise you'll go home and sleep?" she asked, as they started away from the library.

He huffed a quiet sigh. "Alright. I promise."

Ruya's mouth curved in a triumphant smile. "Good," she said softly, standing on tip-toes to press a kiss to his cheek. "I can't have my sweetheart keeling over from sleep-deprivation, can I?"

Noah's only response was his cheeks turning bright pink, a shade that matched the color of her dress.

* * *

 _ **A/N**_ _: "Tickled pink", do you get it? Because he's tickled, and he literally turns pink. Get it? Get it? I'm brilliant._

 _I might have completely messed up the dynamic between these two, because we haven't truly seen them interact in the comic yet. But here's hoping they're not_ too _far off. This was also written and posted in one day, so I think the quality is actually pretty good, considering._


End file.
